One of my favorite restaurants is Taste of Thailand, which is on Selby Ave at Pierce St. As of last week, I think I’ve been there six times.

There are 86 items on the menu (not including their delicious coffees and teas), so there is bound to be something that you’ll enjoy. My personal favorites are Bung Bo with beef, noodles and vegetables in a yellow curry and lemongrass sauce ($9.75) and Rad Na with chicken, flat noodles and chinese broccoli in a black bean sauce ($11.95). I’m also a big fan of their Tom Yum soup ($11.15) which has a citrusy lemongrass flavor that I love. The appetizers range from $2.50 to $6.00, and the main dishes go from $8.95 to $12.95. There are plenty of vegetarian options as well, and you can choose your meat (or non-meat) in most of the dishes. The options are: tofu, mock-duck, mock-chicken, chicken, beef, pork, squid and shrimp.

I’ve tried many of the other dishes too, such as the Wonton Soup ($2.75), Fried Rice ($8.95 for the entree size), Cream Cheese Puffs ($3.40 for 8) and Fresh Spring Rolls ($4.75 for 4), and I have yet to be disappointed. Everything has been multi-dimensional in terms of both flavor and ingredients. The sweet to salty to spicy ratio is great in everything. I really like spicy foods, and the medium is usually a perfect fit for me. However, they’re accommodating to my friends who don’t like any spice. The food is also fresh and the vegetables are always nice and crunchy, while still being cooked long enough to absorb flavor.

As far as beverages go, I always order their Thai Coffee, either hot ($2.50) or iced ($3.00). Thai coffee is made with condensed milk, and while you can find it at a lot of places in the area, this one is my favorite. It’s smooth and the ingredients are always perfectly proportioned. The ambiance isn’t great, and most of the people I’ve seen there have gotten take-out. The space is a little too large for the small number of people who are usually eating there, so I think that makes it feel a little funny. However, if you’re like me and prefer to eat at the restaurant, you won’t be disappointed. They have comfortable booths, and I personally have found the staff to be welcoming. Taste of Thailand is never very crowded, so the service tends to be pretty relaxed. I wouldn’t go here if you’re in a rush, because the service can be noticeably slow. However, since that can be attributed to the amazing, fresh food, I never really mind. It’s a great place to go if you want to chat while you eat, so I like to bring my parents there when they visit.

Last week, while my friend and I were dancing to the music that was playing, our waitress noticed and turned up the volume for us. After that, when we all asked to pack up half of our meals, she seemed concerned that we weren’t happy with them. After we assured her that we just enjoyed it so much that we wanted to take it home, she looked excited and asked us about our school cafeteria, inviting us back to the restaurant the following week.

While I was there with my mother at a weird time in the middle of the week, the only person working was a sweet elderly woman, who was clearly doing all of the cooking as well as serving. When I tried to order the curry puffs, she apologized and told us that since her shoulders were bad, she couldn’t roll out the dough. The waiters and waitresses I’ve had there have all been genuinely kind and they make sure that you enjoy what you order. That’s the kind of restaurant it is, one where the food is fresh and made with care.

They have two locations, one at 1671 Selby Ave, and the other at 11 S 7th Street in Minneapolis.